Ch. 10 Vocab

Question 1

in psychoanalysis, a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Answer 1

free association

Question 2

(1) Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions (2) Freud’s therapeutic technique. Freud believed the patient’s free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences—and the therapist’s interpretations of them—released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight

Answer 2

psychoanalysis

Question 3

according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories; information processing of which we are unaware

Answer 3

unconscious

Question 4

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives; operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification

Answer 4

id

Question 5

the largely conscious, “executive” part of personality that, according to Freud, mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality; operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id’s desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain

Answer 5

ego

Question 6

the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations

Answer 6

superego

Question 7

the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) during which, according to Freud, the id’s pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones

Answer 7

psychosexual stages

Question 8

collection of feelings boys feel during the phallic stage including unconscious sexual drives for their mother and jealousy of their father

Answer 8

Oedipus complex

Question 9

the process by which, according to Freud, children incorporate their parents’ values into their developing superegos

Answer 9

identification

Question 10

according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved

Answer 10

fixation

Question 11

in psychoanalytic theory, the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality

Answer 11

defense mechanisms

Question 12

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories

Answer 12

repression

Question 13

modern-day approaches that view personality with a focus on the unconscious and the importance of childhood experiences

Answer 13

psychodynamic theories

Question 14

Carl Jung’s concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species’ history

Answer 14

collective unconscious

Question 15

a personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics

Answer 15

projective test

Question 16

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

Answer 16

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Question 17

the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots

Answer 17

Rorschach inkblot test

Question 18

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and our behaviors

Answer 18

false consensus effect

Question 19

a theory of death-related anxiety; explores people’s emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death

Answer 19

terror-management theory

Question 20

view personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth

Answer 20

humanistic theories

Question 21

according to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one’s potential

Answer 21

self-actualization

Question 22

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help clients to develop self-awareness and self-acceptance

Answer 22

unconditional positive regard

Question 23

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?”

Answer 23

self-concept

Question 24

a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

Answer 24

trait

Question 25

a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits

Answer 25

personality inventory

Question 26

the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests; originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes

Answer 26

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Test (MMPT)

Question 27

a test (such as the MMPI) developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between groups

Answer 27

empirically derived test

Question 28

views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits (including their thinking) and their social context

Answer 28

social-cognitive perspective

Question 29

in personality theory, this perspective focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

Answer 29

behavioral approach

Question 30

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

Answer 30

reciprocal determinism

Question 31

the scientific study of human functioning, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive

Answer 31

positive psychology

Question 32

in contemporary psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

Answer 32

self

Question 33

overestimating others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us)

Answer 33

spotlight effect

Question 34

one’s feelings of high or low self-worth

Answer 34

self-esteem

Question 35

one’s sense of competence and effectiveness

Answer 35

self-efficacy

Question 36

readiness to perceive oneself favorably

Answer 36

self-serving bias

Question 37

excessive self-love and self-absorption

Answer 37

narcissism

Question 38

giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

Answer 38

individualism

Question 39

giving priority to the goals of one’s group (often one’s extended family or work group) and defining one’s identity accordingly

Answer 39

collectivism

Question 40

an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

Answer 40

personality